When my husband and I moved to Lake Lure in 2019, both of us wanted to meet people so we got involved in various groups . My interests included fiber arts, so I joined a Friday quilting group at the library, and I went with a neighbor to a Lake Lure Artists meeting, the first of many.
For over 30 years, this group has included a diverse set of painters, sculptors, fiber artists, photographers, potters, jewelry makers, stained-glass artists, and others, too, who have lived in and around Lake Lure, either full-time or part-time. One current member expresses her creativity through “food art” which we enthusiastically encourage. Those who join share an appreciation for creating and observing art; that’s all that’s required to take part in the group. If that’s YOU, and you have a passion for art and enjoy creative people, we’d love you to join our group!
One creative challenge involved each participant recreating a 2×2” portion of an 8×10” photo onto a 6×6” gesso board, in any medium and as accurately as possible – without having seen the original photo. The “big reveal” meeting, where we assembled all the “puzzle pieces”, was fun!
The group’s twice-monthly meetings feature a variety of activities: a hands-on workshop, or a field trip to nearby galleries, or a guest lecturer, or an art supplies swap, or a show-and-tell gathering over a cup of coffee and Danish. We have had workshops to try our hand at batik watercolor painting, fluid art techniques, nature printing, sculpting with clay, creating mosaics with glass, beadwork, eggshell mosaics on gourds, and painting wooden eggs. I have led sessions on painting Ukrainian eggs using a wax resist method and creating fabric collages. It’s fun to attempt a particular medium for just a few hours to see if it’s worth further exploration. (Sometimes 2-3 hours is enough, thank you…) It’s also a relaxing and enjoyable way to spend the morning with some friends.
Since I’ve been in the group, The Lake Lure Artists (LLA) have participated regularly in fund-raisers for the community:
- The Flowering Bridge auctioned off our artists’ paintings (or mosaics) done on plywood cut to resemble bears, suns and dogwood flowers several years in a row.
- The LLA has held art shows at least once a year and raffled off donated artwork to benefit the Hickory Nut Gorge Outreach Center, the Lake Lure Academy, and Sunny View Elementary School.
- In 2025, we participated in the “Healing Through Helene – 12×12” Works of Hope” auction fundraiser to support artists affected by Hurricane Helene.
- Currently, our artists have created green salamander sculptures displayed in Lake Lure and Chimney Rock. These salamanders will be auctioned off in August by the Hickory Nut Chamber of Commerce to support future community initiatives.
Now that you’ve heard about the group, here are a few words about the type of art I enjoy creating and sharing with others.
I describe myself as a fiber artist, since I love to work with cloth, yarn, and wool fiber. The precision of quilting (infinite designs and fabrics to choose from) and knitting (clever patterns for clothed stuffed animals and comforting blankets) have brought me joy for decades. An early March 2020 weekend class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, N.C., introduced me to needle felting, and I’ve been hooked ever since. The COVID restrictions that spring gave me ample time to experiment and develop my needle felting technique, which is best described as “painting with wool”. I have created portraits of my own dogs, as well as numerous portraits of others’ pets. Using my own photos of local landscapes and wildlife, I enjoy “painting” their likeness in wool. Much of my work is by commission.
If you would like more information about the Lake Lure Artists and/or my own art, please contact me (Sara Cronk) at saradaisy311@outlook.com
Watch this space for future articles focused on local artists, past and present.
Meetings are held on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 9:30 am. For meeting locations and agendas, please email artistslakelure@gmail.com. See you soon!
Check out the Mountain Branch Library’s glass case and easel for a variety of artwork created by local artists.